Dann war ich ja wandern...erstmal eine nacht zum aklimatisieren auf 4900m im zelt, bei -25, und einen tag spaeter sind dann Cedric, der schweizer, und ich auf unsere tour zum Huayna Potosi aufgemacht. Es ist einer der einfacheren 6000ender in Bolivien. Auf dem BaseCamp auf 4900m hat wir aufrgrund unsere guten vorbereitungen keine probleme... am Nachmittag sind wir dann eisklettern gegangen und zwar so richtig, mit crapons klettergurt und eisaexen... nach einer ziemlich kuehlen nacht gings dann am naechsten morgen hoch aufs HighCamp 5240m. Dort war schon alles in schnee gekleidet, und der blick auf die spitzte war schon sehr ueberwaeltigend, doch immer noch ziemlich weit weg...beim brot essen ist mir dann erstmal meine bruecke vom frontzahn abgebrochen, was das atmen bei der kalten luft da oben schon relativ unangenehm gemacht hat....doch aufgegeben wird noch lange nicht...ich hab dann meine ninja maske rausgeholt und somit war auch dieses problem geregelt. Um 6 uhr abends gings dann ins bett, da wir um 12 nachts wieder raus mussten um aufzusteigen... Die stunden im zelt waren erstaunlicherweise vom schlafen her die angenhemsten...da wir zuvor meist sehr unruhig oder garnicht schlafen konnten. auch wenn durch den vielen schnee draussen, innen schnell alles feucht wurde, waren die temperaturen dank unsere guten schlafsaecke ertragbar...um 12 sind wir dann aufgestanden um los zu wander, doch das wetter hatte sich sehr verschlechtert, denn es war sehr stark am schneien neblig, und es donnerte. also beschlossen wir noch eine std zu warten.... es hatte dann auch aufgeoert zu schneien. worauf hin alles achen gepackt und angezogen wurden und wir mit unserem eispickel in der hand, den steigeisen unter den fuessen und dem klettergurt um den bauch aufgemacht haben....leider kamen wir nicht sehr weit, weil wir feststellen mussten das soviel elektrizitaet in der luft war, das die spitze unsere eispickel anfingen zu leuchten, und zu blitzen als wir sie hoch hielten, auch aus dem batteriefach meiner kopflampe kamen ebenfalls kleine blitze... und obendrein war das gewitter ums blitzen reicher geworden....deswegen entschlossen wir uns einstimmig, umzukehren, da keiner von uns sein leben rikieren wollte...
somit hab ich es leider nicht geschaft...keine 6000m fuer Cedric und mich, vielleicht das naechste mal...
gruesse aus la paz simon
Dienstag, 8. April 2008
Montag, 7. April 2008
La Paz...und die Strasse des Todes
Sodele... Endlich hab ich mal wieder Zeit euch auf den neusten stand zu bringen. Der letzte post endete ja damit das wir so gerade noche den bus bekommen hatten um nach Tupiza zu gelagangen. Damit dieser Post nicht der laengste von allen wird, mach ich hier mal einen tiefen cut, indem ich die naechtsen drei staedte, in jeweils einem satz erledige. Tupiza, hab ich zum ersten mal auf meiner weltreise eine ordentliche essensvergiftung gehabt, die mich leider davon abgehalten hat den geplanten pferderitt durch einene canyon zu machen. In Potosi ging es mir dann etwas besser, so dass ich dort die weltberuehmten mienen besichtigen konnte, in denen die leute, heute noch in verhaeltnissen arbeiten wie vor 200 jahren. Sucre, einer der zwei hauptstaedte von Bolivien war, sehr angenehm warm, da es ausnahmsweise nicht ueber 3500m liegt. Nach ein paar sonnigen tagen sind wir und dass bedeutet in diesem fall ross ich und zwei schweizwer mit denen wir schon die tour durch die wueste gemacht hatten, nach La Paz gefahren. La Paz, ist die hoechste hauptstadt der welt, und liegt in einem tal umgeben von gebirge, auf 3600m. Das wetter ist hier vergleichbar mit melbourne, weil man auch hier hauefig vier jahreszeiten an einem tag durchlaueft. Der lebensstandard ist im allgemeinen sehr niedrig, fuer europaeische verhaeltnisse, trotzdem hat man nicht wirklich das gefuehl sich in einem dritte welt land aufzuhalten. Die stadt sieht alt und bruechig aus, und nur das zentrum hat wenige neue gebaeude allerdings ist sie sauber, und zwar jeden morgen...nachts schmeisst jedes geschaeft, jeder haushalt und alles was rum laeuft seinen muell auf die starsse und dass mit absicht. Das muelleimersystem macht in la paz aber auch nicht wirklich sinn, da man so gut wie keine ebenen starssen findet. Manche strassen sind so steil dass autos auf der haelfte der strecke anfangen muessen zick zack zu fahren um es den berg hoch zu schaffen. Essen und trinken ist auch in La Paz sehr billig, nur kann man wenn man will, sein steak auch in einem argentinischen resturant kaufen, dazu einen argentinischen wein trinken und die besondere atmosphaere geniessen. Das gesamtpacket ist dann kurz mal soviel wert das man davon 6 uebernachtungen bezahlen koennte. Es gibt also auch hier aehnlich wie in afrika sehr grosse unterschiede wie man isst, und wieviel man letztendlich dafuer zahlt.
So wir waren also zwei tage in La Paz da hatten wir schon die erste tour gebucht...."the death road". Mit diese starsse hat es folgendes auf sich...bis vor 1 1/2 jahren gab es nur eine schmale starsse die nahe der stadt la paz den einzige verbindungsstrasse zwischen dem nordosten und dem suedwesten von bolivien war. dieser schotterweg, der mehr mit einem wanderweg gemein hat als mit einer strasse, ist meist nicht breiter als 3-4 meter und ueberwindet auf dem weg vom amazonas jungle flachland ins kommerzielle centrum la paz in den bergen ca 3800 in 68 km. dieses gemisch aus schmalem weg, viel verkehr und tiefen schluchten, gab der handelsstrasse den namen strasse des todes, weil jaehrlich ueber 100 menschen auf dem weg vom, oder zum lebensunterhalt verdienen ums leben kamen...
mittlerweile gibt es eine neue, richtige strasse, und die alte, wird als turistenattraktion verkauft. Und zwar rast meist "mann" auf einem moutainbike 60km downhill von 4600 hoehenmetern auf ca 1000.
So wir waren also zwei tage in La Paz da hatten wir schon die erste tour gebucht...."the death road". Mit diese starsse hat es folgendes auf sich...bis vor 1 1/2 jahren gab es nur eine schmale starsse die nahe der stadt la paz den einzige verbindungsstrasse zwischen dem nordosten und dem suedwesten von bolivien war. dieser schotterweg, der mehr mit einem wanderweg gemein hat als mit einer strasse, ist meist nicht breiter als 3-4 meter und ueberwindet auf dem weg vom amazonas jungle flachland ins kommerzielle centrum la paz in den bergen ca 3800 in 68 km. dieses gemisch aus schmalem weg, viel verkehr und tiefen schluchten, gab der handelsstrasse den namen strasse des todes, weil jaehrlich ueber 100 menschen auf dem weg vom, oder zum lebensunterhalt verdienen ums leben kamen...
mittlerweile gibt es eine neue, richtige strasse, und die alte, wird als turistenattraktion verkauft. Und zwar rast meist "mann" auf einem moutainbike 60km downhill von 4600 hoehenmetern auf ca 1000.
naechster Post wird sehr schnell kommen, deshalb beeilt euch mim lesen
Liebe Gruesse aus La Paz
Simon
Samstag, 22. März 2008
Saltdesert & a bit of Bolivia
Atacama was exhausting but definatly worth the sweat and energy. The day after the biking we booked a tour from San Pedro to Uyuni in Bolivia. This tour included the border crossing, many lagoons and the famous Salar de Uyuni. The border crossing was on 4600 m which caused a big headache for the most of us...and again I have to admit that border crossing for people out of the US is just 10 x worse than for everyone else... they always have to pay, at least 3 times more, ... but this is because they charging south americans the same so it is just fair sport...
At the first day we drove to a lot of lagoons, red, blue, green and viollet. They have different colors for different reasons, some of them have got special types of salt in them, some others differnt types of algae. Then we stopped at geysers, which was really stinky because of all the sulfur shooting out of them....but still really interresting to see how it bubbled. In the late afternoon we arrived at our accommodation, it was pretty basic but we were told that before!!I know!!! it was just that we were on 4300m and there was no heater, double gassed windows or anything simillar!!!the toilets were nice....at the beginning, but after 24 people been to it at least once...mmhh one can imagine I think. Anyway the evening was realy nice because an american guy brought his guitar and additional he wasn´t the only one to play the guitar pretty perfect....so we had a nice long evening of singing until we didn´t know any lyrics anymore. My night was hot and even a bit sweaty because I was the only one with a sleepingbag ready for minus temps ; ) proved and tested in nepal.
The next day started with a big stone which has a funny form. Other stopps were a look out point to see a vulcano which was actually a bit smoky. Afterwards we stopped at another lagoon and several times at interresting places in the dessert.
Our second accommodation was way better and most important warmer, with a shower and a toilet one just had to share between six. Had a three course dinner, and quite a few beer before we finally started having an even bigger gig than last night...and longer...and louder...
The next day, was the shortest time wise, but the biggest attraction wise. We went to the Salar de Uyuni....and it was wide and big, really really wide & big and white...you couldn´t see the end of it, which meant that everything started reflecting on the ground, e.g like the sky or far mountains....stunning...
after a 40 min drive we stopped in the middle of the Saltdesert at a hill, which was full of cactuses. But the main reason why we stopped, was a different one...
....because everything around you has the same color and appearance, we were able to start playing with the perspective....check out the pics...unbeliveable what you can do with a few people, a lot of salt and a camera...
After 3 hours of taking pics and posing, we had enough and headed of to Uyuni.
Uyuni is a little town close to the Saltflat, which makes it a little town with millions of travel agencies...
We had a last nice dinner with a couple of people from the tour, which was in the same time the first local dinner for us in Bolivia. As soon as it gets night in Bolivia you can find many many little shops everywhere, where old ladies selling ¨The Hamburguesa¨ which from that night on was supposed to become our basic dinner for the next couple of days.... it is a little burger with salad, tomatos, onions and fries on top, for 1,50bs which is approximately 15 dollar cents......awesome, cheap and delicious oh my goodness these hamburguesas are sooooooo goood and cheap....but, and this might be the reason why not everyone is having them, it looks a bit dodgy in which environment they´re made, and it propably is...but for people with a strong stomach, the best bargain in Bolivia. Ross and I we left Uyuni the next day to Tupiza. That sounds pretty easy and fast, but it was really lucky that we got the bus.
I gave up my laundry the day we arrived, same as Ross, and the lady said until the next morning 8 o´clock it would be finished...so at the morning we wanted to leave there was no laundry lady...but our bus was supposed to leave at 9. and because I gave up my whole stack of clothes, we had to wait.....8:30........ .. 8:45 ....8:50 then I decided to go to the busstation and change our tickets but they said there wouldn´t be a bus to Tupiza the next 2 days......shit...it looked like we would get stuck in Uyuni.... but then I saw this massive amount of luggage people were waiting with for the bus...so I thought maybe we could be faster than they would be able to load the bus. So I ran back to the hotel, Ross just got the laundry and had started packing...so we packed as fast as we never packed before, grabbed our bags and ran back to the busstation.....and...........people were still sitting there...YEAH juuuuhhhuuuu lucky.....
In the end the bus was 1 1/2 hours belated... and took 10 instead of 6 hours, but we were never more happy about the fact that a bus was too late....
Many regards and the promise that the next post will come faster...
Simon
At the first day we drove to a lot of lagoons, red, blue, green and viollet. They have different colors for different reasons, some of them have got special types of salt in them, some others differnt types of algae. Then we stopped at geysers, which was really stinky because of all the sulfur shooting out of them....but still really interresting to see how it bubbled. In the late afternoon we arrived at our accommodation, it was pretty basic but we were told that before!!I know!!! it was just that we were on 4300m and there was no heater, double gassed windows or anything simillar!!!the toilets were nice....at the beginning, but after 24 people been to it at least once...mmhh one can imagine I think. Anyway the evening was realy nice because an american guy brought his guitar and additional he wasn´t the only one to play the guitar pretty perfect....so we had a nice long evening of singing until we didn´t know any lyrics anymore. My night was hot and even a bit sweaty because I was the only one with a sleepingbag ready for minus temps ; ) proved and tested in nepal.
The next day started with a big stone which has a funny form. Other stopps were a look out point to see a vulcano which was actually a bit smoky. Afterwards we stopped at another lagoon and several times at interresting places in the dessert.
Our second accommodation was way better and most important warmer, with a shower and a toilet one just had to share between six. Had a three course dinner, and quite a few beer before we finally started having an even bigger gig than last night...and longer...and louder...
The next day, was the shortest time wise, but the biggest attraction wise. We went to the Salar de Uyuni....and it was wide and big, really really wide & big and white...you couldn´t see the end of it, which meant that everything started reflecting on the ground, e.g like the sky or far mountains....stunning...
after a 40 min drive we stopped in the middle of the Saltdesert at a hill, which was full of cactuses. But the main reason why we stopped, was a different one...
....because everything around you has the same color and appearance, we were able to start playing with the perspective....check out the pics...unbeliveable what you can do with a few people, a lot of salt and a camera...
After 3 hours of taking pics and posing, we had enough and headed of to Uyuni.
Uyuni is a little town close to the Saltflat, which makes it a little town with millions of travel agencies...
We had a last nice dinner with a couple of people from the tour, which was in the same time the first local dinner for us in Bolivia. As soon as it gets night in Bolivia you can find many many little shops everywhere, where old ladies selling ¨The Hamburguesa¨ which from that night on was supposed to become our basic dinner for the next couple of days.... it is a little burger with salad, tomatos, onions and fries on top, for 1,50bs which is approximately 15 dollar cents......awesome, cheap and delicious oh my goodness these hamburguesas are sooooooo goood and cheap....but, and this might be the reason why not everyone is having them, it looks a bit dodgy in which environment they´re made, and it propably is...but for people with a strong stomach, the best bargain in Bolivia. Ross and I we left Uyuni the next day to Tupiza. That sounds pretty easy and fast, but it was really lucky that we got the bus.
I gave up my laundry the day we arrived, same as Ross, and the lady said until the next morning 8 o´clock it would be finished...so at the morning we wanted to leave there was no laundry lady...but our bus was supposed to leave at 9. and because I gave up my whole stack of clothes, we had to wait.....8:30........ .. 8:45 ....8:50 then I decided to go to the busstation and change our tickets but they said there wouldn´t be a bus to Tupiza the next 2 days......shit...it looked like we would get stuck in Uyuni.... but then I saw this massive amount of luggage people were waiting with for the bus...so I thought maybe we could be faster than they would be able to load the bus. So I ran back to the hotel, Ross just got the laundry and had started packing...so we packed as fast as we never packed before, grabbed our bags and ran back to the busstation.....and...........people were still sitting there...YEAH juuuuhhhuuuu lucky.....
In the end the bus was 1 1/2 hours belated... and took 10 instead of 6 hours, but we were never more happy about the fact that a bus was too late....
Many regards and the promise that the next post will come faster...
Simon
Samstag, 15. März 2008
San Pedro de Atacama
San Pedro de Atacama befindet sich in der Atacama wueste welche die trockenste der welt ist...und es liegt 2645m, was uns anfangs ein bischen zu schaffen gemacht hat. Das mag aber auch daran gelegen haben das wir uns gleich am ersten tag fahrraeder ausgeliehen haben um eine radtour zu machen...Diese radtour war urspruenglich dazu gedacht einen abstecher in die wueste zu machen, es kam aber alles ein bischen anders.
Erste tour war ca 15km(one way) und fuehrte ins Gruene Tal, was fuer leute die in der wueste leben eine attraktion ist...naja fuer uns war es nicht ganz so besonders, gruen halt.. doch spass hatten wir alle mal, viele flussueberquerungen, von denen uns natuerlich keiner was gesagt hatte. Flussueberquerung heisst in diesem fall: finde die stelle wo der fluss am schmalsten ist und nicht zu tief. Manchmal konnte man durchfahren, dann wurde nur der ruecken vom hinterrad nass und andere male musste man das bike tragen, was in meinem fall dann bedeutete dass einem das wasser bis zur unterhose ging!!!naja anschliessend gings natuerlich wieder mit trockenen sand und - schotterwegen weiter, was insbesondere meine schuhe leider nicht so gut abhaben konnten...
nach insgesamt 4std fahrradfahren kamen wir dann wieder in San Pedro an.
Nun mussten wir enscheiden ob wir noch die zweite attraktion anfahren wollten oder nicht...
Valle de la Luna war 18km...und man hoerte dass der weg dort hin geteert sein soll. Also haben wir uns nach weiteren 2l wasser bei 32c wieder auf gemacht.......der weg war geteert, genau 4km...aber er war eben... bis wir dort ankamen und feststellen durften das es kurz vor dem ziel nochmal ca. 1km richtig steil bergauf ging...
Als wir dann auch dass geschafft hatten wurden wir mit einer wirklich dem Mond verblueffend aehnlich aussehenden(von den bildern die man so im fernsehen sieht) landschaft belohnt...und zwar war die landschaft ein mix aus sandduenen, geroell und obendrein alles ueberdeckt von feinen salzablagerungen...
Der heimweg ging dann wesentlich schneller...zum glueck...am abend tat uns dann allen der hintern gewaltig weh, so dass wir relativ zuegig ins bett sind...achso und meine schuhe konnte ich wegschmeissen...
Am naechsten tag haben wie dann alles ganz ruhig angehen lassen und entspannt, ich hab in meinem tagebuch einwenig aufholen koennen und kam sogar malwieder zum lesen...zum abendessen haben wir uns dann ein halbes huhn gekauft dass wir erstmal ausnehmen mussten und anschliessend haeuten um das fleisch zu entfernen, weil wir in der annahme dass es einen backofen gibt falsch lagen...das kochen hat ganze 2 1/2 std gedauert, war am ende aber mit reis, huehnchen, paprika - karotten - mais -zucchini gemuese ein richtiges Abendessen!!!
bis bald
euer Weltenbummler
Erste tour war ca 15km(one way) und fuehrte ins Gruene Tal, was fuer leute die in der wueste leben eine attraktion ist...naja fuer uns war es nicht ganz so besonders, gruen halt.. doch spass hatten wir alle mal, viele flussueberquerungen, von denen uns natuerlich keiner was gesagt hatte. Flussueberquerung heisst in diesem fall: finde die stelle wo der fluss am schmalsten ist und nicht zu tief. Manchmal konnte man durchfahren, dann wurde nur der ruecken vom hinterrad nass und andere male musste man das bike tragen, was in meinem fall dann bedeutete dass einem das wasser bis zur unterhose ging!!!naja anschliessend gings natuerlich wieder mit trockenen sand und - schotterwegen weiter, was insbesondere meine schuhe leider nicht so gut abhaben konnten...
nach insgesamt 4std fahrradfahren kamen wir dann wieder in San Pedro an.
Nun mussten wir enscheiden ob wir noch die zweite attraktion anfahren wollten oder nicht...
Valle de la Luna war 18km...und man hoerte dass der weg dort hin geteert sein soll. Also haben wir uns nach weiteren 2l wasser bei 32c wieder auf gemacht.......der weg war geteert, genau 4km...aber er war eben... bis wir dort ankamen und feststellen durften das es kurz vor dem ziel nochmal ca. 1km richtig steil bergauf ging...
Als wir dann auch dass geschafft hatten wurden wir mit einer wirklich dem Mond verblueffend aehnlich aussehenden(von den bildern die man so im fernsehen sieht) landschaft belohnt...und zwar war die landschaft ein mix aus sandduenen, geroell und obendrein alles ueberdeckt von feinen salzablagerungen...
Der heimweg ging dann wesentlich schneller...zum glueck...am abend tat uns dann allen der hintern gewaltig weh, so dass wir relativ zuegig ins bett sind...achso und meine schuhe konnte ich wegschmeissen...
Am naechsten tag haben wie dann alles ganz ruhig angehen lassen und entspannt, ich hab in meinem tagebuch einwenig aufholen koennen und kam sogar malwieder zum lesen...zum abendessen haben wir uns dann ein halbes huhn gekauft dass wir erstmal ausnehmen mussten und anschliessend haeuten um das fleisch zu entfernen, weil wir in der annahme dass es einen backofen gibt falsch lagen...das kochen hat ganze 2 1/2 std gedauert, war am ende aber mit reis, huehnchen, paprika - karotten - mais -zucchini gemuese ein richtiges Abendessen!!!
bis bald
euer Weltenbummler
Donnerstag, 13. März 2008
Santiago de Chile and around
A short introduction...the last two weeks Ross and I spent in Argentina were great and a lot of fun. From Agrentina(Mendoza) we took a bus to Santiago de Chile which was an 8h bus ride. We drove up to 4200m crossed the border to Chile and drove all the way down again to Santiago..
Santiago is Chiles capital and with a population of 5.5 mio people a really big city. We spent 4 days there which was just enough to see the most common sightseeing places. One of them was a Hill in the middle of the city where all the chillians ride up their bikes on sundays, we hadn´t had bikes, so we took the funicular up to the top...Once you reach the top you´ve got a really nice view over the city. On the very top there is a statue of Maria, where most of the locals walk up to get rid of some coins for their wishes(by donating it to Maria), pray or just search for some shade under the big Maria statue...
But the hill offers way more than just the statue, a really big park for the whole family or a Zoo, which was our choice, to look at or enjoy. We saw some Lamas, Flamingos and Tigers, quite nice, but not comparable with our ZOO in Stuttgart!!!
The second and third day we walked through the city, visited some museums and just relaxed...I really enjoyed that weekend without party, but that doesn´t mean that I wouldn´t be up for it the next weekend(regards to my mom at this point)
We spent the following 3 days in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. These two cities are just 15 min away from each other, but totally different!!
Valparaiso is on a hill, has got a habour and many many steep streets up to the housing areas on the hills. For really steep bits, it has got 14 little cable cars goin up approx. 60 or 70%...and they are pretty old, which makes it a really nice experience using one of them. It is a pretty poor city with a couple of areas we were supposed to avoid because they seemed to be too dangerous..
Vina del Mar in contrary is nice and clean a has got more money, beaches and beautiful parks...
Both cities were nice and in some way special...the 3 days we spent there they had a bush fire around the corner, which was in the news over and over again. It was pretty big, because as soon as u left the house u had ash all over the place, additional to that every afternoon the sky turned grey, nearly black. That gave us the opportunity to watch a abnormal sunset at the beach...
Next stop was then San Pedro de Atacama which is in the north of Chile and it is so famous because it has got the driest dessert in the world...
It took us 24hours and51 min to get there with the bus...and we hadn´t had a propper lunch or dinner or breakfast the whole journey...what a shitty company....
see u soon
simon
Santiago is Chiles capital and with a population of 5.5 mio people a really big city. We spent 4 days there which was just enough to see the most common sightseeing places. One of them was a Hill in the middle of the city where all the chillians ride up their bikes on sundays, we hadn´t had bikes, so we took the funicular up to the top...Once you reach the top you´ve got a really nice view over the city. On the very top there is a statue of Maria, where most of the locals walk up to get rid of some coins for their wishes(by donating it to Maria), pray or just search for some shade under the big Maria statue...
But the hill offers way more than just the statue, a really big park for the whole family or a Zoo, which was our choice, to look at or enjoy. We saw some Lamas, Flamingos and Tigers, quite nice, but not comparable with our ZOO in Stuttgart!!!
The second and third day we walked through the city, visited some museums and just relaxed...I really enjoyed that weekend without party, but that doesn´t mean that I wouldn´t be up for it the next weekend(regards to my mom at this point)
We spent the following 3 days in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. These two cities are just 15 min away from each other, but totally different!!
Valparaiso is on a hill, has got a habour and many many steep streets up to the housing areas on the hills. For really steep bits, it has got 14 little cable cars goin up approx. 60 or 70%...and they are pretty old, which makes it a really nice experience using one of them. It is a pretty poor city with a couple of areas we were supposed to avoid because they seemed to be too dangerous..
Vina del Mar in contrary is nice and clean a has got more money, beaches and beautiful parks...
Both cities were nice and in some way special...the 3 days we spent there they had a bush fire around the corner, which was in the news over and over again. It was pretty big, because as soon as u left the house u had ash all over the place, additional to that every afternoon the sky turned grey, nearly black. That gave us the opportunity to watch a abnormal sunset at the beach...
Next stop was then San Pedro de Atacama which is in the north of Chile and it is so famous because it has got the driest dessert in the world...
It took us 24hours and51 min to get there with the bus...and we hadn´t had a propper lunch or dinner or breakfast the whole journey...what a shitty company....
see u soon
simon
Sonntag, 2. März 2008
Paraguay & back to Buenos Aires
Okay there we are...3 o´clock in the morning at the bus terminal in Asuncion(capital of Paraguay) Nataly can´t pick us up because it´s too late, and we can´t find a BPs in the lonley planet which has a 24h reception. So we started walking to find a cheap Hotel...but the area seemed to be pretty dangerous and because it is more than 3km away from the center, we hadn´t had a great choice...the first one looked alright, but it was full. The lady behind the counter tried to explain us something but because our spanish is not the best we couldn´t understand what she wanted...finally we jsut followed her... walked thru a backyard to the next place which was dirty and cheap, and we couldn´t be bothered to search for something else...
Next morning we got picked up by Nataly and her mom, bought our bustickets to Buenos Aires and drove to her home, where we had propably the healthiest meal since I left Sydney. Afterwards she drove us to the center of the city and showed us around...Asuncion is a nice place, against all that rumour which is goin around under Backpackers here in South-America. There is not as much to see as in BA but if you´re around definately worth a visit...anyway after the city tour we drove back to her house where she decided to tell us that she organized a party for us with 12 of her girlfriends that evening and that she is really sad that we´re living and she will have to cancel the party(bought tickets for the same day, cos we wanted to go to BA for the weekend).....but after we heard that we called the buscompany and changed our tickets straight away...that was the first surprise that day and the second didn´t take long... half an hour later we found out that her sister is a model and she´s on quite a lot of billboards, advertising for chochlate or cellphones.
The night out was great...nice people cheap drinks and a good atmosphere...
The day after was really nice as well because we drove to a lake outside of Asuncion city, had a look around in a local holiday town(village, whatever) and spent the rest of the day talking to the Fiedlers...really really nice and friendly family!!!!(my second one)
In the evening we took the bus to Buenos Aires....
Yeah BA we´re coming.....AGAIN...
Next morning we got picked up by Nataly and her mom, bought our bustickets to Buenos Aires and drove to her home, where we had propably the healthiest meal since I left Sydney. Afterwards she drove us to the center of the city and showed us around...Asuncion is a nice place, against all that rumour which is goin around under Backpackers here in South-America. There is not as much to see as in BA but if you´re around definately worth a visit...anyway after the city tour we drove back to her house where she decided to tell us that she organized a party for us with 12 of her girlfriends that evening and that she is really sad that we´re living and she will have to cancel the party(bought tickets for the same day, cos we wanted to go to BA for the weekend).....but after we heard that we called the buscompany and changed our tickets straight away...that was the first surprise that day and the second didn´t take long... half an hour later we found out that her sister is a model and she´s on quite a lot of billboards, advertising for chochlate or cellphones.
The night out was great...nice people cheap drinks and a good atmosphere...
The day after was really nice as well because we drove to a lake outside of Asuncion city, had a look around in a local holiday town(village, whatever) and spent the rest of the day talking to the Fiedlers...really really nice and friendly family!!!!(my second one)
In the evening we took the bus to Buenos Aires....
Yeah BA we´re coming.....AGAIN...
Montag, 25. Februar 2008
Foz de Iguaçu& Puerto Iguazu( Iguazu Falls)
Because I`m always happy, open minded and friendly, Ross and I met two girls from Paraguay on the bus to the brasilian side of the falls...
So after a long night of talking and teaching in the bus, I knew a bit more spanish, and Nataly who speaks spanish portuguse english and !!GERMAN!!had the chance to improve her english. ÇIn the morning she gave us her sim- cardso that we could stay in contact, to catch up in Asuncion(capital of Paraguay)or Buenos Aires.
Any way the bus took us to the falls. We spent then the next two days at the falls. One day at the brasilian side and another daytrip to the argentinien side. Both were amazingly stunning, I took aproximately 380 pics in these two days. The falls where definatly wider than the Victoria falls in Africa, and because of that there were more oportunities to get really close....wet!! There was so much water fallin pretty deep that u couldn´t even see where it´s falling to because there
came up so much mist... On place was called Devils Throat and this place was the center of all mist 2min at the platform and I was totally soaked in water...wet thru and thru...even my underwear(sounds a bit dodgy).
Then we went to a bird park as well where we had the chance to see all the different types of parrots and kakadus and what ever they called...I recorded avideo of sexing parrots!!!how awesome is that...
After these two amazing days at the falls we decided to go to paraguay, which actually, wasn´t the hardest decision we had to make during the last couple of weeks...But to get to Asuncion(capital Paraguay) we had to cross the bridge between Foz do Iguaçu(brsail)and Ciudade de Este (Paraguay) which is the border. This bridge is supposed to be a really dangerous place...
but even if there are many dangerous places in South America many of them are just rumours, so we asked the policemen at the Brasilian border... and he said: No way of walking across the bridge, not even taking a paraguayen taxi, just a brasilian one, who is willed to stop for your passports and afterwards takes u straight to the terminal, otherwise we would get !!at least!! robbed .... ehh mmh aahhh okay...
so we did exactly what he said...but still at the Paraguayan border Ross had to pay 50 dollars for being Australian...
So it was quite tough getting into Paraguay and our first impressions weren´t great, definatly not!!! but in the end it was supposed to turn out way better than it startet...
So after a long night of talking and teaching in the bus, I knew a bit more spanish, and Nataly who speaks spanish portuguse english and !!GERMAN!!had the chance to improve her english. ÇIn the morning she gave us her sim- cardso that we could stay in contact, to catch up in Asuncion(capital of Paraguay)or Buenos Aires.
Any way the bus took us to the falls. We spent then the next two days at the falls. One day at the brasilian side and another daytrip to the argentinien side. Both were amazingly stunning, I took aproximately 380 pics in these two days. The falls where definatly wider than the Victoria falls in Africa, and because of that there were more oportunities to get really close....wet!! There was so much water fallin pretty deep that u couldn´t even see where it´s falling to because there
came up so much mist... On place was called Devils Throat and this place was the center of all mist 2min at the platform and I was totally soaked in water...wet thru and thru...even my underwear(sounds a bit dodgy).
Then we went to a bird park as well where we had the chance to see all the different types of parrots and kakadus and what ever they called...I recorded avideo of sexing parrots!!!how awesome is that...
After these two amazing days at the falls we decided to go to paraguay, which actually, wasn´t the hardest decision we had to make during the last couple of weeks...But to get to Asuncion(capital Paraguay) we had to cross the bridge between Foz do Iguaçu(brsail)and Ciudade de Este (Paraguay) which is the border. This bridge is supposed to be a really dangerous place...
but even if there are many dangerous places in South America many of them are just rumours, so we asked the policemen at the Brasilian border... and he said: No way of walking across the bridge, not even taking a paraguayen taxi, just a brasilian one, who is willed to stop for your passports and afterwards takes u straight to the terminal, otherwise we would get !!at least!! robbed .... ehh mmh aahhh okay...
so we did exactly what he said...but still at the Paraguayan border Ross had to pay 50 dollars for being Australian...
So it was quite tough getting into Paraguay and our first impressions weren´t great, definatly not!!! but in the end it was supposed to turn out way better than it startet...
Abonnieren
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